International Chovken Federation
History of Chovken: heritage, names and modern sport
Chovken is a mounted team game with a long cultural history and a modern international rule system. This guide separates documented heritage from later interpretation, explains the names used for the tradition, and shows how safeguarding and organized competition now work together.
A history that should be told with care
Chovken belongs to a broad family of horseback stick-and-ball traditions known across parts of the Caucasus, Central Asia and neighbouring regions. Historical literature and visual culture point to a long regional tradition, but the available evidence does not justify assigning one uncontested date or a single simple origin story to every related form of the game.
For that reason, the International Chovken Federation distinguishes documented facts from popular claims. The modern sport uses the name Chovken, while historical sources and institutions may use Chovqan, Chovgan, Chovkan or other transliterations. These spellings can overlap, but they should not be treated as proof that every historical practice followed the same rules.
Chovqan as living heritage in Azerbaijan
UNESCO inscribed Chovqan, a traditional Karabakh horse-riding game in the Republic of Azerbaijan, on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2013. UNESCO describes a community practice played on a flat grass field by two teams mounted on Karabakh horses, accompanied by the instrumental music called janghi.
The inscription concerns more than the score of a match. It recognizes knowledge passed between experienced riders and beginners, the role of trainers and breeders, traditional clothing, music, crafts and the relationship between people and horses. UNESCO also recorded pressures including urbanization, migration, reduced youth participation and a shortage of practitioners, trainers and Karabakh horses.
The Karabakh horse and riding culture
The traditional Azerbaijani form documented by UNESCO is closely associated with the Karabakh horse. Community submissions describe Chovqan and Karabakh horse-riding culture as traditions that developed in close interaction. Safeguarding the game therefore includes attention to breeding, training, veterinary care and access to suitable horses.
Modern international Chovken is not limited to one breed. The ICF rulebook sets competition requirements for horse health, vaccination, equipment and welfare. The Karabakh horse remains central to the Azerbaijani heritage story, while international competition also needs standards that can be applied responsibly in different countries.
Traditional practice and modern ICF rules
UNESCO's description of the traditional Azerbaijani practice refers to five riders: two fullbacks and three forwards. The current ICF guide describes the standard modern international team as four players, with competition organizers able to use squads of five. These are not necessarily contradictory accounts - they describe different rule contexts.
A responsible history of Chovken should make that distinction visible. Heritage documentation records community practice at a particular time and place. A modern federation rulebook defines how current sanctioned competitions are organized, officiated and made safer for players and horses.
From preservation to international development
The International Chovken Federation was established in Baku after a founding assembly attended by representatives from 19 countries. Its role is to coordinate rules, competitions, national organizations and professional standards while respecting the cultural foundations of the sport.
Recent continental and world championships show this international phase in practice. Events in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America led into the 2026 World Championship in Baku, where ten national teams from five continents competed. Competition does not replace heritage work; it creates another route for teaching, participation and public visibility.
Why the name Chovken is used here
ICF uses Chovken as its standard English name for the modern international sport. UNESCO's official English title uses Chovqan for the Azerbaijani element inscribed in 2013. Other publications may use Chovgan or Chovkan. On this website, the spelling used by each source is preserved when discussing that source, while Chovken remains the default term for ICF competitions and governance.
This approach makes the history easier to understand without creating duplicate pages for every spelling. Readers can follow the documented connection between the traditional practice and the modern sport while still seeing where terminology and rules differ.